Lingering Hope
by MysticMiraculer
Summary: [KWAMI BUSTER SPOILERS] Just like the desperation to hope that one day Ladybug will return his affections, he hoped that when the wall between them collapse, he will get what his heart truly desired. But until then, he would grasp onto the small lingering hope as if it were his lifeline. (Cross post on AO3)


"_Plagg, what if… Marinette is Ladybug?"_

If Adrien was being honest, he wasn't even sure how that thought came into his mind in the first place. It had just felt so natural, so _right_. It was uncannily so fitting and he couldn't place his finger on how his mind had come to that conclusion.

The logical part of his brain would say that it was because he saw her left the room. After Ms. Mendeleiev had shown on TV the drawings - which weren't drawn that well but besides the point - he was just about to sneak out of the room. Only, he had notice Marinette was doing the same thing.

Curiosity killed the cat as they always say. He couldn't shake the inkling feeling throughout his body. All that was going through his head besides the astonishment of what had occurred was the mere nagging in his brain that screamed _suspicion, suspicion, suspicion, suspicion, suspicion. _

He knew it was a logical reason to consider that Marinette could be his superhero partner. On the other hand, why did the thought just came to him so abruptly and stuck to his brain like it was a well written fact?

"_Marinette? Nah!" Plagg denied._

Even though in that moment Adrien had told his kwami that he agreed and trusted him, Adrien didn't let it show that he still wanted to grasp onto that lingering theory.

Throughout the whole battle, he never got the chance to voice his suspicions to his lady - not that he would in front of an akuma so Hawkmoth could hear - but usually fights weren't as high stakes as this one. Tikki was captured and immediately his lady's well-being was more important than anything else in that moment.

When he first encountered Multimouse, his initial reaction was that Ladybug got a different miraculous herself to wield. To say he was shocked to hear Muiltimouse said that she wasn't his lady was an understatement. They had looked so alike, and for the life of him, his mind felt like it was going to explode.

His mind practically exploded when he saw Marinette beside Ladybug and that Marinette was the holder of the mouse miraculous. He was flabbergasted and there was an uneasy feeling in his stomach. His chest felt heavy and he almost couldn't pick his jaws back up from the floor.

After he dropped Ms. Mendeleiev back at College Francoise Dupont, per Ladybug's request, he raced back home, his mind in a frenzy haze. Once he landed inside his room through his open window, he immediately released his transformation and dropped face first onto his bed.

He thought he had been was no one more deserving to be Ladybug than his good friend Marinette. She is kind, considerate, brave, intelligent, creative, and has the drive to acquire justice.

When he first voiced his thoughts about Marinette being Ladybug, he didn't realize the true implications of his claim.

Yes, he thought it was a logical reason. Yes, he thought that she could be a great superhero.

Yet, he was proven wrong.

And he felt disappointed that he was wrong.

Ladybug and Marinette were two of the most important people in his life. They made significant impacts in his life and he felt so fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to know them.

So, to think that there was the slightest chance that they could be the same person…

He realized right then that despite trying to convince himself with all the facts placed in front of him, his heart desired something different.

His heart yearned for Marinette and Ladybug to be the same person.

But why?

He feared for the answer because it would reveal a whole other truth, a whole other factor that could make all of this all the more complicated.

He was never one to deny his feelings though. As much as he tried to hide his emotions, he had always been one to wear his heart on his sleeve. Well, as Chat Noir for the most part anyway.

The point, though, is that his heart was in a duel without him realizing it. Since the battle with Stoneheart, he vowed to love Ladybug, whoever she is beneath that mask.

However, he had always considered Marinette as just a friend.

But the possibility of her being Ladybug made his heart soar. He didn't understand this feeling.

Was falling in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng really that easy? But he loves Ladybug, he couldn't be feeling this way about another girl. Perhaps this was why he wanted Ladybug to be Marinette. It would give him the closure he needed, it would give him the solace to accept the feelings he had been denying.

He had feelings for his classmate and great friend Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And he wanted nothing more in this world than for his lady to be the amazing classmate who sits behind him in class.

So just like the desperation to hope that one day Ladybug will return his affections, he hoped that when the wall between them collapse, he will get what his heart truly desired.

But until then, he would grasp onto the small lingering hope as if it were his lifeline.

So with that last resolve, he clutched his Marinette lucky charm to his chest, and gave in to the impending darkness of sleep filled with his wistful imaginations.

* * *

AN: I wrote this on a whim and did not take the time to thoroughly edit this. So, I apologize if there are a ton of mistakes! ~

I intended to write fluff and angst where Adrien became super dejected about Marinette not being Ladybug to the point he broke into tears because he wants her to be Ladybug so bad since he just recently realized he had fallen for Marinette. But I'm not that great of a writer to dive into making that emotion in my writing so this is what you get sorry... Hopefully someone who sees this note will take up that prompt because I will be extremely grateful and please tag me if you write it. Anyways, thank you for reading!


End file.
